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P. J. SPRAGU'B. ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

10.317,235. w Pa'ten-teqmy, 1885. w www1@ n gi E 36 MMU;

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(No Model.) I 4 sheets-Sheen 2. F. J." SPRAGUE.

EIJMTRIG RAILWAY.

l Patented May 5, 1885.

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F. J. SPRAGUE.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

1) .317,235. Patented May 5, 1885. T v F j .3 v a El H. .ELI

ATTEST: I INVEN'I' 0R.

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Fi J. SPRAGUE, ELECTRIC RAILWAY. No. 317,235. Patented May 5, 18.35.

"FRANKJ. SPRAGUE, or NOR'rHfA AUN ,--PATENT OFFICE. y

sP-RAGUE ELEOTnioRAipWAYLAND MOTOR COMPANY. -i

- ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

j .SPECIFICATION fqrmi'ng pgr'to; nettersratem NQ. :411,235,1151fed. May 5,1885. l. Application-.Med April 14.,V (Nomodclll v y I I' Bei known that I, FRANK J. s PRlGE, f

- North Adams, .in the county bf Berkshire and' State of Massachusetts, haveinvented-a cer-V. tain' new and useful Improvement in Electric- Railway Systems, of which the following is a:

'Theobject of -my invention to producean v economical and eicientsystem for utilizing electricity as the motive' pow r in railways;

and myinvention consists in th various' novel accomplishing the above-named object,as here- AL; inafter described and. claimed. 15;

- one -cr more main c o'ndu tors, preferably of arrangements and devices employed 'by me 'in In carrying out myinve' tion Iprovide,rst,

lonr resistanceqwhich maybe ca ried'on poles placed in pipes, buried under g ound, carried onor under thevties, or placed ndA protected in any other suitablemanner;

ut preferably' they are placed-in pipes or tubes nder ground.. j

.The electric motors which run n the railwayl do not take their current direcly from these main conductors, hereto ore been-cus! tomary; but such conductors are connected at intervalsiwith others, which I term workingconductors, and from "which the current is taken.-` Theseworking.- cond ctors may be.

continuous, but'.for' lines oi`any length I presections. The.`

fer to divide'them into regularx the earth and conductors are insulated from l v from other line-connections,and may beplaced in any suitable position-tob lin connection with the motors. I prefer to employ central rails placed between the rails of.. the track,.

though in some .cases the conductors may be wires r bars 'placed in a trench betweenthe rails;l or wires placed .upon poles may be used;-

` also,in'some 'cases the rails 'of the track form- -neet-ing the 4two sets of` conductors will be .more specifically hereinafter described'.l j Y By 'this arrangement I provide a path of low re-l sistance for themain current,and a conductor* one side of the workingcircuit.:

The different methods of arranging and contherefor which is not su ject te the wear and von which,- owing to t tear of the moving act with the motors, e lowresistance, there.

leakage, and which,if

will'` be little loss ,fro

the workingconduct i' is damaged or broken at any poih'trstilllin intainsf au unbroken,cir

amount of the working'-condnctors.resistance in circuit atany of vone of 'its-sections..

load and the same potential at Vallthe gen-.- erator-terrninals'wherever the motors may' be `on the line, by which arrangement the most.

eii'cient work is obtained. .For each section ofthe working-conductor Iprovide' an electi-ically-opel-ated signaling device placed preferablyin lthe 'branch which connects such section with the main conductors. l When' circuit is closed'in a section .by the entrance uponI it ofl a motor,such signaling device is putin operation. I preferto use alvisual sigual,though The signalv indicates to a following or 'op-y positel'y approaching train that the section 1s working-condnctors,I provide means for main:l taining a n'orx'al degree of mechanlcaltension justable spi'ings or'equivalent devices are con` .nected with the working-conductor. at .diierent points, such springs being placed outof the line of continuity of the-conductor. If

conductors I prefer to use twoor more curbrushes placed 4one behind another, and confrom he'at` or other cause the Wire'tends tobe- .come slack, the springs automatically tighten it@ In taking'the current from the working.

rent-collectorasuch as rollers, springs, -or

DAMS, MAssAoHUsETTs, Assis-Non. To THE.v

cuit tothe rest o f the Qlinc. Furtherfthe` a .continuously-ringing bell may be'employed'; ff

' already occupied. AIf wires are used for the upon suchconductors. For this purpose adnccted with thesame terminal of the motor, so y a break or depression in a working-conductor .turn-circuit. E prov-ide'in connection .with a vmotor suitable regulating and circuit-controlling devices, as. will be set forth. 'My invention may be more readilv1 "stood by reference to the accompanyi ings, in Whichy l under-V tem embodying theprin'cipal features of my -as to affordcontinuous contact in' passing over' or in the rails when theyareused as the regdraw Figure 1 is apartial plan view and,par-tial'v diagram representing an electric-railway sys.

'103 invention. `.Fig."2 represents" a cross-section ,of th'etrack with themotor and signal device' 3C" l ing-conductors, and theynare divided into sec'- Referring first to Figs. l and 2, 'A A are the rails of one track, andB B* those of the other, in a double-track-railway system. Each track 'has two central rails--in one case C' and (5', in

. the other.DandD.

' E E represent main conductors placed in a tube, F, which is preferably buried in.y the groundb'etween the tracks, as shown, erin any other convenientsitnation.

. G and G represent each a generator ora seriesor group of generators connected at different pointsto the main conductorsby corr ,posedinsulati'ons c a.

"the sections, they are preferably taken from Q the main conductors at points somewhat'ldisf' ductors'H HU v t -I and I are the motors, which travel upon the rails. V- v a Infthe two tracks 'of Fig. 1 Ihave shwn somewhat different arrangements of circuits.

I `will rst describe the track' A A?. Ihe' central rails,- C- C', each form one-0i' the worktions 1, 2, and 3, ol' suitable length, `by inter- From the main conductor E a branch conductor, b, (or Zz b2, &c'.,) extends to each section of theworking-cond -uctor C', and from main conductor F] a similar'branch conductor extends toeach section of working-conductor C. While thebranches b b, Ste., are connected to the working-conductors .preferablyr at or near the y ends of tantg-and at such points 'are located signaling devices K or K', which are arbitrarily represented in Fig. 1, but will be. presently describedin detail. The signals K are set, while' signals K are down. ".The motor I is mounted upon a car having wheels c c, and its arma.- ture d is preferablyplaced. directly upon the driving -ax1e. Frames e e', extending from either end of the motor, carry rollers ff and f' f', which run on the working-conductors C C. Rollers f and f are separated byinsnlation g. iRollers ff `formen'e terminal, and

l are so far apart that any break in the workingcondncto'rsis bridged by4 them, andff simi# larly form the otherterminal. Flat springs h h' or other suitable tension devices may be employed to maintain the contact of the rollers with the working-conductors. The motorie preferably a shunt -woundv electro dynamic motor, the armaturecircuit terminals being at 'm m', and the eld-circnitterminals at n n. A circuit breaker'and reverser, 0,',isin the armature-circuit, and an adjustable resistance,y p, in the field-circuit,- or other suitable field regulatingmeans maybe substituted for the resistance.

' `The motor being on section I, as shown', the circuits to and throughit are as followsz' -from ductor E; thence by branch wire 7) through la signal, K, to working-conductor C', from which the currentis taken by rollers f f',

is connected -to lstationary split collarss s on the laXles; -thence through the eld and armature of the motor to wire r, rollers f j', and

,through another signal, K, back to' conductor E', this connection not being shown in the H H4 to the generators. Signals are thus set adjacent sections, showing the presengeiof a motor on vsection 1. Ii' thetrainfis on section 2,-, branch conductors b2- and b3 are in ci'fcuit, andl other signals'areset, aswill be well understood.

The branch conductors may .include safety'- lcatches or fusible lengths of wire to guard the system in 'case of a short circuit occurring, and, if desired, hand-'switches may also vbe placed in such conduct-ors, 4so that a'section y 'ay at any time be cut out of circuit, if nec.- essary. y l v y In the arrangement ot' track-B B the two central rails form together a single workingother sideof the 'working-circuits,'and being connected to the main by branch conductors.

section in the aXles'. `The singlezworking-conductor is divided into sections', as before. It is evidentl thatra single l'ine'of rails may be used as this working-conductorl' but two rails give lower resist-ance .and better contactfor 'be done than if oneis. used.

is asziff'llows from' the main conductors: by

ltureof'the motor.; vthence by r wire u to the axles; thence to the rails, and by branch conductorbf 'to mainrconductor E.

' The track B -Bfsshownin section in Fig. 2. `L lis a signal-pole. Aconductor, b, (shown Ain dotted lincs,) extends to said signal-pole and to the magnet-coils,of'thesmall electroture cf of this apparatus carries a'signal-arm, w. W'lien themagnet's of M are energized by the passage of atrain upon the' sectionadjaextend a suitable distance alongthe sectiom), theisignalffarm israised, and in the daytime indicates the presence of the train. At night from the axles of the rollers to wire 1", which working-conductor C, branch conductor b, and p midway' orat othervconvenient points of the' In the motor, rollers tt form one terminal and rolle'rst t theether, there being no insulatingthe motor, and enable .better signaling to s i The motor-beingon .section 2,'-th'e y circuit;v

branches b* 1')4 from "mainl conductor E to thev working-conductor; setting ,the signals in', those branches; thenceto theafield'andarmap cent to that upon` which vthe signal is placed,- (for, as seen in'Fig. 1, the branchconductors'v V generators G and G by wires H to main con-v Y drawings, owing to lack of spaceythence by conductor, the mainor tratlic rails forming the Y IOO magneticdevicelM, placedinya ysuitable box at th-etop of `the pole`. The @polarized .arma,

`ductors and the branch conductors; or they may be placed ina shunt from oneof s aid conductorn which is, of course, equivalent to placing tl em directly therein. In some cases-- on shortlines, for instanceit may be desirable to lnploy continuous -or undivided working-conductors connected at intervals with the main Aconductors In Fig. 8 such an arrangemen*L is shown in diagram, where there is a single main conductor, E, placed in anda single working-conductor, C, a d bra'nch conductors bb connecting them. The main rails or the earth, or both, are used for the returncircuit in this arrangement, as will-beread-ily understood,

' In Figx 4 cuits,` there being two working-conductors,- C C', and two 'mainconductor's, E E'. It is evident that. the working conductor or lconducto'rs in boththese instancesv may be a cenworking-conductor C is bent down-. Brncn' conductor b terminates in a hook, 12,

-tral rail or rails, or may be otherwise coiistructed andl situated, ashes been' set fortln. I desire to support and connect 'the workvinglconductors in such manner that the connecting and supporting devices will not interferewith the contact of the motor. .Figs '5 and are opposite Vertical sections of an ar.- rangemetfor this purposeA whichlmay b'e cuiployed when Wire is used for the conductors.- E isa main conductor in tube O is a cross-tie or sleeper; P,a block of glass or other insulating material, supported thereon andf having aldepressi'onin itstop in .whieh' the W ich passes over 'conductor C'gand vholdsit, making goed connectionl between 'the'fconduct-M.

ors. z' isan outlet for water which may gather in thedepression.A

Fig.; 7 is-a vertical transverse sectionof an other arrangement,in which the working-com duetor C,"bent down within Y, is held'loya ,clamp,-y, with which branch b is connected.

It is evi-dent that with any of these arrangements two working-conductors maybe in the` same way connected with'two inai'n conductors.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrateadjustable 'tension devices for a working-conductom In'Fig. 8, to is an elastic .cushion orbuiier placed on a rod, 'vQwhich forms a 'pailof the branch conductor. 'lhe rod passes rough' the workingconductors 'and has upon itnnts" u' z :so that the conductor is constantly alzi/,ess

there'-v a're complete metallic cir-,5A

under tension from the elaSticCuShiOn and the slack is constantly taken up; The small adjusting it. V

In Fig. 9, t2 is a spring forming part of the Working-conductor in the depression of'block I. 's2 sz are pins for holding the conductor in the depression. The spring keeps the conductor under tension,and may beadjnsted by turning the nut As Iemploy two or more current-collectors inline for taking offthe current, the depresf fere with the connection. lThis is illustrated nient of the current-collectors from thatshown ,motor through pivoted ariuspp, travel on the -workingconductor C. By means of adjustais maintained. f

Fig. llillustrates a mode of supporting and connecting a working-conductor. Conductor O is placed in grooves in insulating support'- ing-blocks, P; or this, may be a continuous with the main conductor in anysuitable manner, such as I have already described.' Diagrammatic connections are vshown to a motor, l. In this case the rails are the return-circuit. Fig. 12 'shows a similar arrangement ofy two conductors, `forming a complete circuit. In.

taken from the working-conductors by the def vice shown in Fig. 10,' o'r one similar thereto. i Fig. 13 shows the workngconductors placed inside grooves in a block, l2?, vfor better pro tection from the weather. Current may be 'taken from them', by horizontallyfplaced rollers, as will be well understood.

In Fig. 14 all the conductors are placed in a channel or trench, S,'between the-rails. Thi'V mains E E are connected at convenient points with the workingconductors GU', which are here shown 4of bar form and placed upon insulating-support R. Figs. 15, lo and 17 illustrate different forms o'fs'uch har conductors. When the working-conductors are beneath the ground, the arms whichc-arry the current-co1- lectors are, of course, extended toa suicient length to reach'the same." l I 'I am aware of BritishLetters Patent No. 783 'of 1881, in whichcontinuous main conduetors. are, connected to conductors from whiehthe motor 4derives current by the passage of the motor upon thediferent sectionsof suchconductoral L.In my system, however, the main-conductors are normally conncctedlwith the working-conductors, whereby the com-pli.

ani awarealsoof German PatentjNo.-,18 ,90'1 --of 1881*..Y j

' I do not claim'the feature -h'ereiniset forth workingconductors from 'the' saine main ,cir-

spring-o'l permits the movement of the rod in in Fig. 10, which shows 'a different arrangein Fig. 1. Rollers f f, suitably attached to the4 ble spring o' their pressure on the conductor'- string piece, andsaid conductor is connectedv sions in the working-conductor do not inter-'- this arrangement 'the current is preferably.

lroo

IOS'

cated. apparatus employed for closing circuit lon the passage of a train is dispensed with., I

cuit, einer I propose to claim this in a separate application; and I do not claim herein a.

working-conductor placed above. ground and having,r a shield above it for protecting it from the weather, .since this also will be made the subject of a separate application.

Vllat I claim is- 1. In an electric-railway system, the combination, with a-Wrking-condnctor from which the motor derives current, of a main conductor normally connected at intervals with saidA working-conductor, substantially as set forth.

. 2. In an electric-railway system, lthe combination, with a Working-conductordivided into sections, of a main conductor normally connected with each of said sections, substantially as set forth.

8. In an electric-railway system, the combination of continuous main conductors and working-conductors normally connected with said main conductorg'rom which Workingconductors the current is taken bythe motors, substantially as set forth.'

4. In al" electric-railway system, the combi- 3, nation of continuous main conductors and :t

working conductor or conductors divided electrically into sections, each section being normally connected with the main conductors, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electric-railway system, the combination of continuousnlaiu conductors and two working-conductors each divided electrically into sections, each of said sections being normally connected with the mainv conductors, substantially as set forth.

6. In an electric-railway system, the combi- 'nation of continuons main conductors, Working-conductors one or both of which are dvided into sections,.norma1 connections from the main conductors to the Working-circuit sections, anda .motor or motors, each motor having; one terminal connected with one ofthe Working-conductors, whereby circuit is conipletcd from the main conductors through the Working-conductors andthe motor or rnotors, substantially as set forth. 7. In an electric-.railway system, the combi- 'nationof the main conductors, the separate working-circuits normally connected there# with, and one or more velectrical]y-operated signaling devices in each of said Working-circuits, Substantially as set forth.

-tinnous main conductors normally, connected with eachof said eections, andainotor mounted upon a car traveling rapofn'said traic-rails and provided with suitable currentcollectingn devices bearing;` upon said intermediate rail or rails, .aubslantially :is |not forth.

10. In an electric-railway system, the cour binntion, with a, cond nctor' from which the niotol's derive current, 0i'tensionmuintnining delvices therefor situated ont ot' the line of coutiuuity of thc conductor, eulnitnutiaflly as. Set forth.

1I. In an electric-railway system of the character described., the combination ci' o. continuons main conductor placed' under ground, a working-conductor placed above ground, and one or more branch conductors cxtcndingfrom said inaiu conductor and normally connected with said Working-conductor, substantially as Set forth.

' IPI-LANK I. SIRIGU l.

NViL-ucsses:

Renn MACKIE. EDWD. I-I. Jefferson.

It is hereby certified thai in Letters Patent No. 317 ,235, giunted May 5, 1885, upon 'che application of lFrenk J. Spiagle, of North Adams, Massachusetts, for al1-improvement iu Eleoisrie Railways, the followingorreetion should be rea: In lines 127, 128, and 129, page 3, of the printed specification the Words, I am aware also of German Patent; No. 18,901, of 1881-, should be omitted, and theLetters P ntent should be read Without; this sentence to make it conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Oiiee.

Signed, countersigned,`m1d seled this 19th day of Maly, A. D. 1885. l

[sEAIw] H. L. MULDROWL Gouutersigned M. if. QWGQMQRY',

Commissioner of Patents.

Acting Secretary of the Liter/iov. 

